Meter-box.



T. J. KERFOOT.

.METER BOX.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 27| lgl. LQQQ L Patented Apr. 10, 1917.

THOMAS J'. KERFOOT, OF BLUFFTON, INDIANA.

METER-BSK.

Application filed April 27, 1916.

To all fwwmz' may concern."

Be it known that I, THoMAs J. Knnroor, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bluffton, in the county of Wells and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Meter-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to boxes or cas` ings which are used as housings for water meters and the like and which are generally known as meter boxes.

Boxes of this kind are embedded in the ground below the pavement, and they have to be provided with a lid which will be readily removable in order that access may be had to the meter which is housed in the casing. It is obviouslynecessary that a box of this kind must be suliiciently strong to resist the strain and pressure caused by trafiic; that it must be substantially air and water tight; that the lid shall be readily removable to enable the meter to be inspected, and that the lid as well as the entire structure shall be enabled to resist ordinary usage.

The present invention has for its object to produce a meter box of simple and improved construction which will be durable and inexpensive.

A further object of the invention is to produce a meter box comprising a body portion of cement or concrete composition and a neck portion and lid of cast iron, and to simplify and improve the construction and assemblage of said parts.

With these and other ends in view which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of the claims may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawing* Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view showing the improved meter box embedded in the ground in position for operation.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the parts of the device previous to being assembled.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view.

Specification of Letters Patent.

rarement npr. io, mit.

serial No. 93,982.

Fig. t is a sectional detail view taken on the line imi in Fig. 3.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by like characters of reference.

The body of composed of a cylindrical tube 15 made of cement or concrete composition of proper dimensions and with walls of ample thickness, say about two inches, to resist any pressure or strain to which it may be subjected. The bottom member 16 consists of a disk of like material as the body 15 within which it is snugly fitted and where it may be cemented or otherwise secured in place. Supported on the upper edge of the body portion 15 is a top member 17 of like material as the body, said top member consisting of an upwardly bulging ring or annulus, the external diameter of which is somewhat less than the external diameter of the body with which it is joined by a cement joint 18. At its inner edge the ring-shaped top member has a shallow recess or groove formed in the upper portion thereof to present a shoulder or offset 19. The central opening of the annular top member is of proper dimensions to enable access to be conveniently had to the interior of the box.

20 designates a neck member which consists of a cylindrical ring or sleeve of cast iron, said sleeve being of proper dimensions to enable it to rest on the shoulder or offset 19. The sleeve 2O is provided near its lower edge with a circumferential rib 21 that rests on top of the top member 17 adjacent to the shoulder 19, the neck member being joined with the top member by a cement joint 22 in a perfectly air tight water proof manner. The neck member 2O is provided at its upper edge with diametrically opposed inwardly extending lugs 23.

The detachable lid 24- which is also made of cast iron is slightly bulO'ed upwardly for reasons of strength and durability. The lid is of a diameter somewhat exceeding the external diameter of the neck member 20, and its overhanging portion is provided with a downwardly extending circumferential flange 25 which lits snugly about the upper extremity of the neck member. Vater will thus be shed from the lid and prevented from entering within the box. The lid is provided at diametrically opposite sides with downwardly extending hooks 26 which are adapted by 'a slight rotary motion of the lid to be engaged with or disengaged from the the improved meter box is' 26 to be engaged with or disengaged from the lugs 23 as may be required to secure the lid in position or to enable it to be removed.

It is preferred that the opposed faces of the lugs 23 and the hooks 26 be oppositely beveled, as clearly seen in Fig. l of the drawings, thereby causing the lugs to exert 'a wedge action with respect to the hooks whereby, when the cover 24 is rotated about its axis to move the hooks 26 in engagement with the lugs Q8, the lid will. be drawn tightly in a downward direction to lit snugly against the upper edge of the neck 20. The lugs 27 which extend upwardly from the lid, and whereby the said lid is manipulated, are each provided with a beveled or inclined end wall 30 coinciding with the heel of the hook 26 and with a substantially vertical end wall 31 coinciding with the point of the bill of the hook 26. When it is desired to disassemble the lid from the box the wall 81 presents an abutment which may be struck with a tool such as a hammer or kicked with the heel of a boot for the purpose of loosening and disengaging the lid. The said vertical end wall thus presents an indicator to indicate the end of the lug that is to be struck in order to move the lid to disengaging position and, conversely, the inclined end wall 30 may not be struck except with a glancing blow which would not be suiicient to drive the lid to a position where it would become so tightly wedged as to render its removal dificult.

The interior or that portion ofthe meter box which is constructed of cement or concrete composition is provided with a heavy coating 28 of water proof paint in order that moisture may be positively excluded.

The bottom member 16 is to be apertured for the passage of the service pipe A supporting the meter B, the arrangement and installation of which is well understood. Any well known means will be resorted to to make the joints where the pipes enter the meter box through the bottom member perfectly water tight. A plurality of meters may be accommodated in a single box when desired.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawing hereto annexed, it will be seen that l have produced a very simple, inexpensive, durable and serviceable meter box which is capable of convenient installation and which when installed will permit convenient access to the meter.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

1. A meter box of the character described having a cylindrical neck member of cast iron provided at its upper edge with diametrically opposed inwardly extending lugs, and a cast iron lid having a downwardly extending flange surrounding the neck, downwardly extending diametrically opposed hooks, and upwardly extending diametrically opposed lugs coinciding with said hooks, the inwardly extending lugs of the neck member and the hooks of the lid hav.- ing beveled engaging faces, and the upwardly extending lugs of the lid having inclined end walls coinciding with the heels of the hooks, and substantially vertical endV walls coinciding with the points of the hooks.

2. In a meter box, the combination of a cylindrical body having bottom and top walls,'said body and walls being formed of plastic material and said top wall being dome-shaped and having a central opening, the wall of said opening terminating at its upper portion in an annular recess and a shoulder surrounding the same, an annular rib formed upon said top wall and surrounding said shoulder, said rib being provided with an annular recess on its inner side overhanging the shoulder, a metallic lining reinforcing the body and walls of the box and having a flange projecting upwardly into and reinforcing the wall of said central opening, a cast metallic neck member seated its lower edge within the annular recess and bearing against the shoulder, said neck member being provided with an annular bead overhanging the shoulder and engaging the annular recess in the annular rib,

and a lid or cover detachably engaging the edge of said neck member.

ln testimony whereof l affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS J. KERFOOT.

Witnesses:

HARRY E. PorEJoY, A. W. HAMILTON.

ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

